Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare blamed defensive lapses for his side’s late defeat at Arsenal.

City were leading 3-2, thanks to goals from Shinji Okazaki and a double from Jamie Vardy, but City defended two set-pieces inside three manic minutes poorly allowing the Gunners to snatch the points.

Shakespeare said it was a bitter pill to swallow as City had produced a positive display but they had to learn from their mistakes.

“I think when you get a defeat the natural reaction is to be disappointed with the overall result,” he said.

“You have to take some positives and I always look for the positives.

Alexandre Lacazette scores the opening goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

“Of course I have a dejected dressing room but to come here and score three has to be pleasing in some respects, but it doesn’t feel like it at the moment.

“When we get back to the training ground and reflect, the types of goals we scored and how compact and disciplined we were in terms of the game plan, trying to hit Arsenal on the counter attack, I thought it worked very well.

“In terms of the players’ effort, we saw it through for 83 minutes but to then concede two late set-plays in the manner we did is hard to take.”

Arsenal forward Mesut Ozil handled the ball in the build up to the third goal, which wasn’t spotted by referee Mike Dean, but Shakespeare didn’t offer that as an excuse.

Jamie Vardy celebrates after scoring to make it 1-2 during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium. Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

“I have seen it again and it is a definite handball,” he said.

“We are disappointed the referee didn’t give it because he had a clear view but ultimately we need to defend the corner given.

“We all know referees sometimes get it wrong. Of course you would like him to give that but once he has given the corner we have to defend that second phase better.

“Just speaking to the players in there, when you are defending a corner you can’t come out if the ball hasn’t been cleared.

Shinji Okazaki celebrates with his team-mates after scoring to make it 1-1during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City. Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

“You have to be aware of your man and we clearly didn’t defend that as well as we can do.”

City were leading when Shakespeare withdrew midfielder Matty James for striker Kelechi Iheanacho, but the City boss said that move wasn’t the cause of their downfall.

“I wanted to bring him on and to get in and around Granit Xhaka because I thought he was having a major influence on the game,” explained Shakespeare.

“You try to make substitutions and it never really cost us the game in terms of that because they scored from two set plays.”